


Crimson Dusk

by MSeren



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Eventual Romance, F/F, Human/Vampire Relationship, Romance, Slow Burn, for now at least
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22761940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MSeren/pseuds/MSeren
Summary: Prompt: Andy is a vampire and really royalty among her kind. She worked for Miranda in rebellion against her royal heritage, and she only quit because people were threatening Miranda's well being. Flash forward X amount of time: Miranda gets used as leverage against Andy in royal vampire intrigue.ORWhat if Andy was more than she seemed when she worked for Miranda, hiding beneath the guise of something so different than to what she truly was?(Yet another old piece I had on my LiveJournal years ago that I decided to edit and upload here.)
Relationships: Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
Comments: 10
Kudos: 58





	Crimson Dusk

**Author's Note:**

> So I had this sitting on my hard drive for several years. While I never really added to this story beyond what was already written, I was quite proud of it at the time and still am actually. While I don't have any timeline as to when I'll ever pick this up again, I thought some might enjoy it for what it is.

When I left home, I left behind more than any woman would have in any similar situation. While most of my kind envied the pure lineage that I had been born into, my heritage felt little more than a burden to me. Duty had been instilled upon me from the moment I was born, and so it was no secret I was being groomed to take over the throne. 

For anything and everything, I had the absolute best tutors instructing me for my future. When I was old enough to speak, I was taught the formality of language and how to properly address peers and elders alike. Likewise, when I was old enough to walk, I was instructed on poise and the importance of carrying myself with the aristocratic dignity suited of my status. All lessons were paramount, but when I grew older, I came to the realization that simply inheriting my birthright was not my parents’ only concern. 

They needed me to continue the family bloodline. 

It was perhaps the biggest factor in my leaving to begin with. It certainly didn't help I had suitors of just about every background constantly vying for my attention. For the large majority of them, I sensed their intentions were less than pure. Many an individual would desire power if given the chance, but for a vampire, it could be far worse, for we lusted passionately for what we truly desired, consequences be damned more often than not. That—more or less—also cemented why I couldn't bring a child into the world. 

Why involve an innocent in such a power struggle, after all? 

Regardless of how powerful they would have been, I had no feasible desire to bear children nor did I feel the need to sire any of my own even with what magic we had at our disposal. Had I stayed, that, among other things, was exactly what would have been expected of me, but I had always yearned for more beyond a pre-determined life. 

What use was a throne to me when I was no surer of myself and the future that awaited me? How could any monarch lead their people into an uncertain destiny? Answers to those questions and more didn't come easily, so, in turn, I gave up both power and prestige of the grandest kind in my bid to be free.

Nevertheless, I still knew that many of my kind viewed me as nothing less than utterly insane when I simply left the kingdom—weeks before my coronation no less. What came as a surprise to _me_ , however, was that my parents let me go relatively unscathed. 

I say 'relatively' because they did send wayward groups of their spies after me every now and then in an attempt to bring me home, but I was otherwise left to my own devices. As an explanation, I can only imagine they saw my leaving as a sign of yet another one of my… _rebellious_ phases and, thus, was nothing truly to be concerned about.

After all, I was the daughter of royalty and descendant to a bloodline that could be tracked nearly to the very beginnings of our kind. We were not only Pure Bloods—vampires born rather than created—we were also the oldest of Old Bloods, which consisted of several Houses whose ancestors were the first of vampires. 

Power of the greatest kind ran through me, so I was hardly in any danger should my parents’ spies try to attack. Thankfully, none sent after me ever chose to do so, but a woman of my station can never be too careful.

For a time, I was content as I wandered the human world for decades, wanting to learn of these creatures that my kind fed from and depended on for both life and sustenance. In that time, I sampled what it had to offer: cultures, knowledge, food, etc. 

During my stay, it wasn't unusual for me to involve myself in various relationships. At the beginning, they were merely sexual, but every now and then, I'd meet someone who managed to capture my attention. 

Nate Cooper was one such individual.

While not the most well-groomed, I found such a quality offered him a rakish sort of air, which was attractive in its own right, but it was his love of the culinary arts that truly drew me in. It was rare of me to find anyone who committed their all for their passion with such intensity. Most were simply concerned with taking the shortest route that would lead them to their end goal. 

Nate, on the other hand, was willing to start at the lowest rung of the ladder and work his way up to becoming a chef. Dedication like that wasn't found easily, so I could certainly respect that in a man.

When we first met, I was busy working my way through college, trying on a new alias, for the last town I resided in began to grow suspicious when they found that I wasn't getting any older after nearly two decades of my living there. My new cover was that of an aspiring journalist, which I had found a certain knack for but never tried, career-wise. 

Nate wined and dined me, which—in retrospect—I shouldn't have enjoyed as much as I did. He had a true talent when it came to cooking, and after neglecting my usual training regimen to be courted in such a way, my body showed for it.

It certainly didn't help that those at Runway didn't let me forget either…

* * *

_I was scheduled to be interviewed for a position at one of the magazines published by Elias-Clarke. Unfortunately, upon arriving at Human Resources, I was informed that the opening had already been filled and that the only alternative was at their fashion magazine: Runway._

_As soon as I entered the seating area, I found myself surrounded by women who were perfectly made up and outfitted in the very best the fashion houses had to offer. While I was dressed professionally enough, I knew I didn't quite fit the dress code that was very much present there. Unfortunately, it was already too late to turn back, which was made apparent when the assistant interviewing me, Emily Charlton, began panicking upon receiving a text message._

_And to think that we weren't even five minutes into our conversation._

_"She’s on her way. Tell everyone!" Emily warned to the person on the other end of the line without so much as a greeting._

_There was a minor displacement of air along with a new scent as an older gentleman appeared through a side entrance. He detoured by Emily’s desk long enough to grouse quietly at her with a banter that suggested familiarity—especially as they shared in their disparaging opinions about me—before moving to the hallway door._

_“Alright, everyone! Gird your loins!”_

_Everyone froze for a long heartbeat before going immediately into high alert. I could practically smell the fear permeating throughout the entire area as they struggled to get everything in order. Clothing racks were moved out of the way with startling speed, barely missing a few unfortunate individuals, while others reapplied their makeup or readjusted their... assets._

_I thought I even saw one woman slipping on a body shaper beneath her dress._

_"Odd," I murmured, brow arching at the last sight, catching the attention of the still frazzled first assistant._

_"My God, why are you still here?!" Emily screamed, nearly hyperventilating, and when I opened my mouth to try and respond, she shook her head, waving off any possible attempts for me to do so. "No, no, nevermind! Just... just sit there and let's hope she won't notice you marring the office any more than you already are," she muttered before heading her way up the long hallway towards the elevators._

_I curled my upper lip, narrowing my eyes in offense and barely suppressing a growl at her departing form. It was tempting to follow after her, but what would occur would likely be rather messy. That, and it would no doubt ruin my already abysmal outfit, I thought reluctantly, and I certainly didn’t need anything **more** wrong with it. I sighed, pressing my tongue against my cheek while drumming my fingers impatiently on the arm of the chair._

_Such a shame, really. I would have liked the feel of that woman's blood coating my tongue as she gasped her very last breath._

_The image was enough to make my fangs itch with hunger, and I began watching Emily in a new light, my benign interest growing when I heard the tempo of her heart increase. I could feel the corners of my mouth lifting into a lazy smile as I imagined sinking my teeth deeply into that pale, fragile neck. I wanted to hear bones snap as my canines played with her pulse point, and I wondered what frantic beats I could coax from it before hearing it fall silent forever. I swallowed, and my eyes involuntarily narrowed, vision sharpening far beyond normal human means._

_Something primal within me was calling out, and I wanted so desperately to answer it, but before I could even consider surrendering to my more primal needs, the air in the entire room began to shift as the elevator doors opened._

_People cowered before the figure walking down the hall, ducking back into their respective area as soon as they caught sight of her, but the impeccably-dressed, silver-haired woman didn't even seem to notice them as she kept a brisk, high-speed pace towards her office, caring very little about the redhead behind her who struggled just to keep up. She was calm, detached, and far more beautiful than any of these women could ever hope to be._

_She was Miranda Priestly, renowned fashion queen and Editor-in-Chief of Runway._

_It occurred to me, as I watched her, that I had felt her type of presence before in fellow vampires of high stature—always well-aware of the effect they had over others and using it with negligent ease. I had never experienced this sensation with a human before, but it was evident she was a cut above the rest. She emanated a power all her own. The woman before me embodied the very epitome of majesty._

_In that instant, I felt a different type of hunger flowing through my veins, and I pressed my fingers against my lips to hide what I was sure were my fangs elongating with desire._

_I was so distracted with keeping my human charade that I hardly noticed that I was being ushered into Miranda Priestly's office. From there, she asked me a series of questions, which only required minimal answers. She never once looked up from her work, which filled me with endless relief._

_My fangs hadn't even come close to retracting yet, and, even if she knew nothing at all about vampires, I didn't want her seeing the visual evidence that my current arousal level may have well been on par with that of an adolescent boy's._

_"And you have no style or sense of fashion," she commented simply in that calm, soft voice of hers, and I opened my mouth to retort before pausing._

_Somehow I knew that responding with, 'Yes, I do, but breaking my current cover of the humble, down-to-earth girl from Ohio for even this interview is simply not possible,' would in no way make me sound remotely sane, now would it?_

_She arched a brow, waiting for a response, and I merely sighed mentally._

* * *

No one was more surprised than me when I was actually hired.

Then again, other than being completely overbearing, Miranda Priestly was also well-known for her vast unpredictability. It kept her employees on their toes, I suppose, which I soon found out as I was sent out daily through the city to fulfill her errands. Each task seemed more impossible than the last, but I completed them nonetheless, despite my being considerably distracted for the most part.

To my chagrin, it was difficult keeping my composure around her. I could hardly think around the lust-filled haze that constantly filled my mind every time she walked into the room. 

Unfortunately, more than a few people began to take notice.

* * *

_"Your High—"_

_My withering glare nearly melted holes into the head of the man sitting across me in the restaurant. I was more than pleased when he paled and quickly retracted his would-be exclamation._

_" **Andy** ," he hissed low, stressing the staccato syllables of my informal name. His eyes were wide and imploring. "What in the world are you even doing with this woman?" _

_I sighed, setting my silverware down on my plate, knowing that I wouldn't be allowed to enjoy my meal in peace until I answered._

_Richard was an older gentleman and a New Blood—someone who had been originally human before becoming a vampire. That was clearly marked in his appearance, for he had to have been in his late forties or early fifties when he was changed. Pure Bloods like myself aged as most humans did although the process stopped once we hit our physical peak, retaining our youthful appearance for as long as we lived. Regardless, despite his common class, he was a trustworthy man, which was why he was the chosen liaison between my parents and myself. Speaking of which…_

_"Did my parents put you up to this?" I furrowed my brows, frowning thoughtfully. They never had a problem with me working for my past employers, after all._

_"You can't fault them for worrying. News of you working for this Priestly woman is already making waves among the other nobles.” His tone was weary as he took off his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose. He continued when I merely arched a brow at the revelation. "It's not the fact that you're simply working for her that's putting them on edge.”_

_I felt my eyes widen as I read between his words, understanding what wasn’t being said._

_That the sole heiress to the throne would allow herself to be so completely subservient to a human was one matter, but for her to also hold an attraction to said human was something else entirely. It wouldn't be stomached easily among my kind, especially by many of the more conservative nobles. Many were already tiring of my antics at 'playing human.'_

_"It's not just an attraction, is it, Andy?" Richard asked quietly although he clearly knew the answer. He likely had been observing my interactions with Miranda for months._

_Upon gazing at my quickly-cooling meal, I began to recall yet another dinner where the other occupant was the very object of my desires—not that she would have known that._

_It was supposed to have been a surprise._

_Miranda had been on such a tear all week, and I merely wanted to do something to soothe her frayed nerves. When she’d arrived home, however, her reception of my good intentions was cold to say the least. I winced, remembering the smoldering accusations she’d sent my way, shattering one of the dishes that I had painstakingly made along with any hopes I had of her ever returning my affections._

_"No," I replied finally, coming back out of my reverie. I pushed my plate aside, no longer hungry. I didn't react when I felt the comforting hand moving to cover my own atop the table. We sat there in companionable silence before Richard cleared his throat. I looked up at him, raising both brows, urging him to speak his mind._

_"That wasn't the only topic I wished to bring up tonight."_

_"Go on."_

_He swallowed, hesitating. "While the nobles are the only ones to know the specifics, I'm afraid that the Resistance may be catching on."_

_I gritted my teeth, muttering a curse beneath my breath._

_In the years since my departure, a new faction within the New Bloods rose, one that wanted to seize the opportunity of my absence in order to garner control over the entire kingdom. Of course, they had no possible way of actually usurping the throne. My parents still held the mantle as rulers, and the nobles—families of powerfully dangerous Old Bloods—backed their command._

_While the Resistance could follow me to the ends of the Earth--as they have done before in the past--they knew from experience that I couldn't be used as a bargaining chip against my parents. I was simply too strong to be overpowered and controlled._

_A chilling thought ran through me then._

_However, if the Resistance knew of Miranda—of my attraction for her—there was a strong chance that she could be used against me. A human wouldn't last in a fight against a vampire and certainly not against the numbers the Resistance boasted._

_"How long can you keep me from being found?" I asked, forcing my voice into perfect calm. I was surprised when Richard merely coaxed me to open my hand and ran a wet napkin over my palm. I hadn't even realized how hard I had been clenching it, but the evidence showed in the small rivulets of blood that had formed from the crescent-shaped wounds. "Richard?"_

_"A few months perhaps?" He sighed. "Even just two would be pushing it. I've always been very careful as to cover my trails, but—"_

_"They managed to find a way around them." I swallowed the low growl that threatened to rumble up within me. "Damn it all."_

_Richard paused, looking down at the table before inhaling audibly. There was a new resolve in his eyes when he spoke. "Regardless, you know what needs to be done now, don't you? You can't—"_

_"I can't continue to stay in the human world anymore," I finished quietly, averting my gaze to stare at the windowpane of the restaurant, watching as rain fell heavily against it. Perhaps the world was crying in my place for what needed to be done. "You said two months?"_

_"Yes."_

_"That will be enough time." I caught the eye of the waiter, raising my fingers to bring him over. "Check, please."_

* * *

Two months would have been enough time for me to prepare myself to leave if Emily hadn't broken her leg of course. Typical—the asinine, I-only-eat-a-cube-of-cheese-when-I'm-close-to-fainting half-wit.

Now, thanks to Emily’s injury, I had to take up her usual duties for Miranda as well as my own. At any other time, I would have been ecstatic—I certainly would've enjoyed flaunting that fact in front of Emily—but considering the circumstances, it merely felt like slow torture. How I managed to survive those first grueling months at Runway was anyone's guess because now I had to constantly be in her presence, where there was no possible way for me to escape the sight and smell of her. 

I had never known of temptation like this. 

I ached profoundly in mere want of her. I wanted her body flushed against mine as I took her. I wanted to revel in her cries of passion. I wanted the taste of her on my tongue as I sampled her in every way possible. 

But I couldn't. 

I couldn’t risk anything more—not if I wanted to keep her safe. We were of different worlds, and while I could overlook that fact, such self-indulgent blindness more than proved the folly of our pairing, no matter how much I wished it to be otherwise. Even as my heart ached with a painful longing for which there simply was no cure, I reminded myself that I could sacrifice my own happiness to ensure her own. I had to, for that could be the only happy alternative in such a situation, and I had to hold myself to it.

* * *

I stood at the rear of the town car, staring up at Miranda as she elegantly ascended the staircase. I couldn't help but smile as I watched her ignore the various photographers and reporters that surrounded her with practiced ease, using only her commanding presence to make them part before her.

"You'll be fine," I whispered. 

I would make it so.

I savored one last moment before quickly turning on my heel. As I made my way across the expansive town square, I heard my phone ring. The sound of it nearly caused me to crumble in place. 

I knew who it was, and I wanted so badly to answer, but I clenched my fists, strengthening my resolve. Coolly looking down at my hand, I spared the device a final glance before tossing it into the nearby fountain. I continued moving, sliding into the back of the sleek limousine that appeared before me without pause. 

"Welcome, Your Highness," was the voice that greeted me as soon as I entered. "We've been looking forward to your return." 

I sighed quietly before regarding the deep, wine-red eyes of the woman who sat across from me. Her form and features were almost indistinguishable in the darkness of the cabin. I made an indiscernible sound in response before turning to look out the window. The other woman took that as a sign that we could depart and tapped the privacy window, prompting the driver to begin driving. 

As the limousine pulled onto the main streets, I let the passing scenery distract me as I tried not to let my heart break with the knowledge I was leaving the remains of my human life and any connection to Miranda behind.

**Author's Note:**

> As stated in the beginning note, this piece will be in indefinite hiatus as I start a new job and also work on other stories I have coming up outside the fandom. Still, if you have any questions, feel free to drop by my [Tumblr.](https://morganaseren.tumblr.com)
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! I'm always happy to hear other people's thoughts on these old works of mine! 
> 
> Happy reading!


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